Rufus Sewell has been helped by movie rejection

The 45-year-old star lost out to the likes of Tom Cruise over the years, and he admitted missing out on so many parts has helped him as a performer.

He told The Guardian Weekend magazine: ''People talk about opportunity knocking, but the gate was always swinging in the breeze before I got to the door.

''I was the lead in 'Interview With the Vampire', until Tom Cruise decided he was interested. I was in 'The Wings of the Dove' with Uma Thurman, until that got cancelled.

''So I've been close lots of times, but I think it's been the making of me as an actor. Yes, years of compromise and disappointment have added depth to me acting. Well, I have to think something, don't I?''

Sewell said he has had to ''hustle'' with casting agents for the best roles, which hasn't usually resulted in ''great'' parts.

The 'A Knight's Tale' star added: ''For a long time, I've had to hustle. If a film role is obviously great, then it's been difficult for me to get a look-in ... [I've had to] kind of trick my way into supporting roles.''